Last month on the blog, we spent a Fun Stuff Friday talking about translating online relationships into real world transactions by attending local events. But sometimes there isn’t an event in the area to meet your needs. And, if that’s case, it might be time to plan one of your own. Here are a few tips on how to run a successful local event to promote your business or brand.
Build a good team. Even the simplest events require a lot of planning. Don’t attempt to tackle event planning on your own. Whether you recruit from within your organization, from your own personal network, or from a social network like Twitter or Facebook, be sure to find quality people you can delegate authority to. Ideally, you’ll have someone to handle A/V for the event, someone else to handle the food, and at least one someone (preferably more) to check people in upon arrival. Spread the work around. This will allow every member of your team more time to take advantage of the major benefit of running a live, local event: networking.
Serve all corners of your market. While the majority of your target audience might live and work in one specific location, don’t ignore potential customers who may be more remote. If your one-off event becomes a series, make every effort to bring that series to each corner of your market. If you have one audience on the coast, another audience around the capital, and a third on the other end of the state, try to find ways to get each of those groups involved in your events.
Partner carefully. When seeking out locations for your meeting or sponsors for food or entertainment, keep in mind that any partnership you form is, at the very least, a passive endorsement of the brand(s) you’re partnering with. Vet potential partners and sponsors carefully.
Got any tips of your own to share? Leave a comment below.
